How I Got the Gunk Out of My Hair From My Natural Shampoo

I’ve had a pretty easy time adjusting to most natural ways of doing things. Washing my hair, unfortunately does not fall in that category. For three years I’ve felt like my scalp always has gunk in it, no matter how well I washed it.

True story: When I first switched to a natural shampoo and conditioner, all was well for the first week. It was about two days into the second week of using natural shampoo and conditioner that I started feeling the repercussions of it. I got out of the shower, dried my hair (with a towel), and went about my business. About 45 minutes after I dried my hair, I found that the hair on my scalp was very heavy and still very, very wet.

When I touched my scalp and ran my fingers down my hair, I literally got buildup in my fingernails. Borderline freaking out, I scrounged for my old Pantene Pro-V shampoo, hopped back in the shower, and scrubbed the crap out of my hair. When I got out, my hair was no longer filled with gunk (aka residue build up).

I’ve always wanted to dread my hair and that seriously would have been the perfect moment to do so if it weren’t for the fact that I was horrified of how my hair felt.

I switched natural shampoos immediately and have never been happy since.

It seems like no matter what natural shampoo I pick, I still feel like my hair gets oily and nasty within a day. No matter how much I scrub, it’s still not the hair I used to have.

I had considered doing the no-poo method but quickly realized it was NOT for me. My hair is too thick, too curly, and too wild for me to experiment with that. I also don’t wash my hair very often so it’s not like I am stripping the natural oils from my hair daily.

Actually, it’s a running joke in my house between Scott and I that I hardly shower. Which, let’s get the record straight — I do shower but I don’t feel the need to shower twice a day like he does. To me, showering that many times in a day, every day seems tiring and a waste of my precious time. Two to three times a week sounds better for me.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I finally got to the point where I was SICK of my scalp feeling gunky, itchy, dandruff-ey, and just plain out disgusting.

So I reached into my cabinet, brought out the raw apple cider vinegar, and rinsed my hair with it. THIS simple apple cider vinegar rinse is how I got the gunk out of my hair from my natural shampoo.

You guys.

The BEST. THING. EVER.

I can’t remember the last time my hair has felt 1) so soft, 2) gunk-free, and 3) so amazing.

Not only that, my itchy-ness drastically improved. I literally could become a sales advocate for apple cider vinegar because of how happy I am with the results. I became a brand new woman.

I’m not saying this is going to work for everyone but if you’re dealing with the same issues I have been (or naturally have oily hair), I highly recommend you trying it.

Yes, your hair sorta smells like apple cider vinegar for a few minutes but I promise it goes away and you’ll be so satisfied with how your hair feels, you won’t mind the short lived vinegary smell.

All you have to do is: wash your hair how you normally do and right before you get out of the shower, turn the water to cool, pour about 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar on your hair, massage it, and rinse.